1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The invention relates to an apparatus for eliminating floor squeaks and pops in conventional and manufactured homes and buildings.
2. Background Art
Flooring systems in typical residential and many commercial buildings include wood joists and a wooden overlayment (subfloor). Wood joists often consist of two-by-ten or two-by-twelve inch boards in residential construction upon permanent foundations, but may be smaller, for example in manufactured homes which are transported from an off-site manufacturing facility. In construction the joists typically are set on edge, and the subflooring secured to the top edge of the joist with nails or staples. Subflooring commonly consists of particle board or plywood sheets. The finished flooring material, such as carpet, tile, linoleum, or the like may then be placed directly upon the subflooring, although it is not uncommon for an intermediate layer of quality material to be placed upon the subflooring to receive the finished flooring material.
Wooden joist-and-subfloor construction are prone to make squeaks and pops when walked upon. This squeaking problem can occur in new and old floors alike, but is most commonly encountered in somewhat older floors, after the wood in the subflooring and/or joists has further dried and shrunk. As the subfloor and/or joist dry, they may warp or shrink with the result that the subfloor pulls up and away from the top of a joist to which it is fastened.
Squeaks and pops can have any of a number of causes. Firstly, the floor noise is detected when weight is introduced to a certain point or vicinity on the floor. The noise is primarily created by the flexure of the subfloor and/or its supporting joist member. Most commonly, the subfloor rubs against the shank of its fastening medium, such as a decking staple or nail, thus causing the noise. Another common source of the noise is that the subfloor may not have been securely fastened to the floor joist, thereby creating a small gap between the subfloor and the joist. When weight is introduced upon an inadequately fastened sub floor, the floor will make a "pop" noise.
A solution to these floor noises is simple if, in new construction, the finished flooring has not been installed over the subfloor. If the finished floor has not been laid, squeaks and pops may be solved by re-fastening the subfloor to the joist by installing additional decking staples, nails, or screws through the top of the subfloor into the joist. However, if the finished flooring is installed over the area of the noise, it is not practical to repair from the top side, as the finished flooring would have to be removed. Once finished flooring is in place, the only practical solution is to repair the noise from beneath the floor.
Squeaky floors can be nearly completely avoided by using screws, rather than nails or staples, in initial construction. The use of screws in flooring construction, however, normally is prohibitively expensive.
A number of previous efforts have been undertaken to address the problem of squeaky floors. For example, U. S. Pat. No. 4,888,926, to Lutz, III, teaches a floor squeak elimninator which utilizes several parts, including a bracket that mounts to the bottom of a joist, and requires two tools for installation. The device applies downward pressure on the sub floor at a single isolated point, so that if the source of the squeak is not exactly located, the device may not eliminate the squeak.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,497,593, to Reisberg, shows a device consisting of a narrow L-shaped bracket with a built-in wedge on one leg. Requiring two tools for installation, the device's wedge is intended to be hammered into position between the subfloor and the joist, which may loosen the subfloor adjacent to the wedge and actually create additional squeaks.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,577,359, to McClanahan, teaches a device consisting of a threaded rod assembly of four parts and requires at least three tools to install. It is intended to mount between floor joists and pull down on that portion of the subfloor disposed between the joists, potentially causing an acceptable dip in the subfloor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,466 to O'Berry, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,813 to Martinsen, et al., also proffer supposed solutions to the problem of squeaky floors.
Yet, a need remains for a simple apparatus, useable with a minimum number of tools, for installation beneath a floor to reduce squeaks. The present invention effectively eliminates floor noises by preventing the flex of a wooden flooring system. The invention is useable beneath an existing or older flooring system, and thus can be beneficially practiced despite the presence of an installed finished flooring.